If you are confused about whether to eat bacon or not, here are my comments on a recent BBC article putting it into perspective. We don’t all have the time to read individual studies in detail and only reading the headlines published by mainstream media aimed to grab attention can be very misleading. Not only are statistics often distorted but it’s important to look at:
- The study ‘population’ ie are the results translatable to me?
- What were they actually measuring and is this even what they are reporting on?
- How long was the study and does it carry any relevance to what it is being concluded?
- Who paid for the study (bias)?
- What were the other variables that may have altered the results?
Remember an association does not mean causation. Knowing who to follow to give you an unbiased view is very important to help you work your way through the mine-field of confusing information that we are faced with today.
